Found Alive NC - Allison Cope, 24, Raleigh, 26 June 2017

[Aeronomy]

What Shoreline are you referring to? Like as in Apartment complex, housing development?

The shoreline of Lake Falls. I was trying to explain the proximity of where she lives and the lake. She basically lives at the lake; just not lake frontage. I think for anyone in the area who goes missing, the lake would be checked.

 

[GigTu]

News has reported on the helicopter rental, but my assumption is that there was no news to report regarding findings. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office also had a boat searching the Wake County shoreline of Falls Lake Thursday afternoon. In addition to the helicopter rented by the roommates, apparently the State Bureau of Investigations also searched with a helicopter around the Falls Lake area.

I am curious if there is a specific lead that had them concentrating on that area or if it is the proximity to where she was last seen that had them focusing their efforts in that vicinity.

http://wncn.com/2017/06/29/vanished...s-says-gas-station-attendant-who-spotted-her/

For the SBI to be involved with helicopters makes me think the claim that she is under duress is substantiated. Maybe she wasn't abducted from the airport parking lot, but maybe she was threatened, or someone she cares about was, including possibly a dog.

 

[Madeleine74]

Traffic cams in the area do not record and save footage like someone's security system would. I don't think the ones on the Interstate do either (but I'm not positive about that).

 

[Madeleine74]

If SC was in a situation like being carjacked or kidnapped, she would have alerted the gas station attendant. That was her chance and no one was with her.

Police have determined she wasn't in distress or immediate danger. The guy from the gas station also said she did not appear to be in any distress. She used the restroom and left, after filling up the tank. It sure seems like she took off voluntarily for whatever reason.

Adults do have the right to disappear from their own lives and that's not a crime. It's horrible for worried family and friends, absolutely, but she appeared to be alone and in control of her own vehicle, so this is not a kidnapping situation.

If she's suicidal that's a whole other issue. I've seen previous cases where someone has had emotional problems and took off. Sometimes that doesn't end well.

 

[carterkatt]

Wondering about what is in her hand at the gas station - and some wondering if it's the restroom key. Most gas stations have inside restrooms, don't they? Any local know if that particular gas station has the restroom outside - needing a key to enter it?
Thanks

 

[CrimeDawg123]

1) I understand the FBI being involved initially due to the airport angle. But once police announced in no uncertain terms that there was no crime committed on airport grounds why did they stay involved at this level?

2) why and how were they able to search the home and computers so quickly? Is it true or not true that the roommates permission would be sufficient to do both?

I've completely changed my mind from thinking she ran off for a mental break to thinking she was harmed.


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I am kind of agreeing with you here that maybe she was actually abducted. I thought so at first, then didn't when the gas station photos were first released. But now, after more discussion, I think perhaps she could have been abducted. Was the decal removed from the vehicle? I can't tell if it was or not. <modsnip>

And I echo your #1 and #2 questions about all the LE involvement and the roommates - I wonder these things as well. This is so baffling.

 

[Ironside]

What are the chances of walking out on your shift and then getting abducted? It seems far more logical that she has gone off on her own accord. I hope she is just holed up somewhere but realistically this is likely to end tragically.


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[JerseyGirl]

Here's a statement from the gas station attendant:

He said, from the surveillance video, it did not appear Cope was in distress or distracted. "She just walked into the bathroom for a couple of minutes, that's it, she walked back outside. She didn't purchase anything."

http://www.wral.com/four-days-later...rch-for-woman-last-seen-leaving-rdu/16795688/

"It's not even like her to park on the other side of the pump, and that look on her face, it won't leave my mind," said
her friend Kosinski.

 

[Compassion]

For the SBI to be involved with helicopters makes me think the claim that she is under duress is substantiated. Maybe she wasn't abducted from the airport parking lot, but maybe she was threatened, or someone she cares about was, including possibly a dog.

I agree that she had to have been under duress, regardless of whatever had transpired.

She seems like a very caring person who would give generously to anybody in need. She also seems highly responsible and dependable. And she seems to be a person who wouldn't leave her phone while running out to her car to meet somebody or to grab something.

I've wondered if something happened at work or if she discovered something while at work (perhaps something like checking the amount on her debit card and discovering a lot of money had disappeared) that caused her to tell or confront a trusted friend and/or that caused her to be frightened for her life.

This sounds far-fetched, but it also seems out of character for Allison to disappear voluntarily unless something was very seriously wrong and she was very frightened.

Since the searches have focused on Falls Lake, she could have been meeting somebody at Falls Lake and she might have told a close friend that she was going to meet so and so at the lake to talk. Or, that she was really upset and going to Falls Lake by herself.

$23 of gas, though, could likely get her a good 3 hours away and unless her tank was on empty, if she was going to Falls Lake she wouldn't have taken the time to get gas.

 

[Compassion]

She might have been abducted by somebody she trusted and somebody with whom she thought she could reason with and resolve the issue through conversation. Her car may have been parked on the far side of the tank since the person she trusted said they were going to hide at the station so nobody would see him/her. Since she seems to believe the best about everybody and has a very caring heart, she might have thought she could resolve the issue with the person rather than going to the authorities and ruining that person's life with an arrest, etc.

She may have been abducted by somebody she knew who was hiding in the car while she got gas, and she didn't say anything at the gas station because 1) she thought she could reason with the person and work it out so that person wouldn't be arrested or 2) that person threatened to harm close family and friends.

I'm guessing, though, given her trust and deep care for people, that she got blind-sided by somebody she trusted and that she was abducted by somebody she knew.

Given that the FBI, SBI and the Wake County Sheriffs are also involved in this investigation, I fear that they also don't believe she left voluntarily.

 

[*JMO*]

Seems odd that a roommate who knows her like the back of her hand, knows her bank balance, thinks she looks like she had been crying in the gas station video...is so close to her...wouldn't know why she was upset? Hadn't she just spoken to her?

I think they are much closer than typical roommates, more like sisters. It has been stated in the media that they have lived together for a long time, I think for about 10 years. They are also former SILs and from what I can tell the siblings and families of both of them are very interconnected, more like relatives than friends. Which to me explains the roommates high level of involvement and knowledge of her behavior and emotions so well.

But if something happened spontaneously, without the roommates knowledge, then it also makes sense that while feeling that Allison is upset, she would not know the cause of it.

 

[GigTu]

Here's a statement from the gas station attendant:

He said, from the surveillance video, it did not appear Cope was in distress or distracted. "She just walked into the bathroom for a couple of minutes, that's it, she walked back outside. She didn't purchase anything."

http://www.wral.com/four-days-later...rch-for-woman-last-seen-leaving-rdu/16795688/

"It's not even like her to park on the other side of the pump, and that look on her face, it won't leave my mind," said
her friend Kosinski.

BBM The gas attendant and LE are both judging her behavior and emotion based off grainy footage from a surveillance video, not from an encounter. Her own friend/family said she parked in a weird place in the gas station and she looked like she was upset. She is missing, they (FBI, SBI, local law enforcement) spent time and money to search for her, so I do believe there is more to this than just a young woman running away.

 

[*JMO*]

BBM The gas attendant and LE are both judging her behavior and emotion based off grainy footage from a surveillance video, not from an encounter. Her own friend/family said she parked in a weird place in the gas station and she looked like she was upset. She is missing, they (FBI, SBI, local law enforcement) spent time and money to search for her, so I do believe there is more to this than just a young woman running away.

That struck me too when I read it. The attendant most likely gave her very little notice when she walked in and was in the restroom for a few moments. He is responding to the reporters questions and surmising from the surveillance that she was not upset.

Also, I think it is possible that at this place in time if she were somehow in a situation with an acquaintance it is possible that she could have not known she was in any danger at this point. Something could have happened after the gas station run and at the time of the gas station stop she may have just been helping out a friend or running an errand for them, or taking someone someplace at their request.

 

[jca91180]

BBM The gas attendant and LE are both judging her behavior and emotion based off grainy footage from a surveillance video, not from an encounter. Her own friend/family said she parked in a weird place in the gas station and she looked like she was upset. She is missing, they (FBI, SBI, local law enforcement) spent time and money to search for her, so I do believe there is more to this than just a young woman running away.

Perhaps she stopped for gas and went in to make sure she was seen on camera as alone and "okay". I'm reminded of Nicole Mittendorf from Northern Virginia. I hope AC is just taking a mental health break and shows up when she's ready. I would almost be more afraid to show myself now (out of embarrassment) that my face is plastered all over MSM. It's almost a bad thing to have so much coverage if she's already feeling mentally unstable.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

I have had a traumatic experience at almost same age as AC. My experience was with someone I knew. The person was manipulative and made me feel sorry for him to get me into his car. By the time I realized I was in grave danger I also realized to stay alive I had to go along with him. I am now getting ready to turn 65 and even now when I see this girl's photo on surveillance I relive my situation. I now find myself thinking about the events and when we were in public why didn't I scream for help. In my case the individual was know to collect guns so I probably feared being shot. I am praying for AC and her family. If she has been abducted I pray she escapes. Either way, she has so much living to do. At this point I feel any scenario is not able to be ruled out.

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[Skigirl]

Perhaps she stopped for gas and went in to make sure she was seen on camera as alone and "okay". I'm reminded of Nicole Mittendorf from Northern Virginia. I hope AC is just taking a mental health break and shows up when she's ready. I would almost be more afraid to show myself now (out of embarrassment) that my face is plastered all over MSM. It's almost a bad thing to have so much coverage if she's already feeling mentally unstable.

I was thinking the same thing. OMG, if I took a mental health break, ended up off the radar for a few days, and then saw myself on TV with my weight prominently displayed, I would almost die.

On a more serious note... I know nothing of "wrappers" like the one on her back window. It seems like it would be very hard to drive around undetected anywhere where the news of this story is being publicized. Do those come off easily? The car is so generic-looking that I think it wouldn't draw much notice without the pit bull rescue stickers on the back.

 

[*JMO*]

I was thinking the same thing. OMG, if I took a mental health break, ended up off the radar for a few days, and then saw myself on TV with my weight prominently displayed, I would almost die.

On a more serious note... I know nothing of "wrappers" like the one on her back window. It seems like it would be very hard to drive around undetected anywhere where the news of this story is being publicized. Do those come off easily? The car is so generic-looking that I think it wouldn't draw much notice without the pit bull rescue stickers on the back.

It has been stated recently in published reports that wrapper may have been removed and it does not appear visible in the gas station (although it has been pointed out on here that distortion could make in seem not be be visible in the video when it actually there). But I agree, unless she pulled off on a back road and her car is hidden from casual view that the big banner on the rear of the car would make it very distinctive.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

The best case scenario would be that she left on her own and has no idea she is being searched for on such a high scale level and when she does contact someone she trusts, she will come home. Although we all probably would like to know how things went, I truly believe we will be so happy she is safe, details are not necessary for the public to know.

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[Compassion]

I was thinking the same thing. OMG, if I took a mental health break, ended up off the radar for a few days, and then saw myself on TV with my weight prominently displayed, I would almost die.

On a more serious note... I know nothing of "wrappers" like the one on her back window. It seems like it would be very hard to drive around undetected anywhere where the news of this story is being publicized. Do those come off easily? The car is so generic-looking that I think it wouldn't draw much notice without the pit bull rescue stickers on the back.

I actually wondered if somebody was hiding in the car and made her get gas and go into the gas station and "act normal" so that when the debit card showed up with the surveillance videos and she looked like everything was fine, the LE would not investigate any further and presume she was just going off by herself.

I'm very concerned and fear for her safety. Even if the gas stop wasn't so cleverly orchestrated, I think she's in trouble and I'm relieved it's being taken seriously.

 

[Compassion]

Agree. We would all be so relieved and she would be welcomed home with open arms. Even if this best case scenario happened, for Allison to take off and not tell anybody still tells us that something really gut-wrenching difficult is going on with her. But, I think all of us could easily understand how somebody could take off in a panic or in despair, and would welcome her back without questions.